Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins Preview
The Penguins and Canadiens are set to face off at 7:00 ET on SN PT. The Canadiens will host the game at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC.
The Penguins are favored in this Eastern conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 6.5 goals. Check out BetCoco for Montreal Canadiens – Pittsburgh Penguins odds
Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Across the previous three matchups between Pittsburgh and Montreal, the Canadiens have played well, sitting at 3-0. However, the average goal differential between the two teams has been been close, with Montreal averaging 4 goals and Pittsburgh at 3.
- When looking at their past three road matchups, Pittsburgh has an puck line record of 0-3 while averaging 1 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
- When looking at their past ten home matchups, Montreal has an puck line record of 6-4 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 5-5 overall in these games.
- Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Canadiens have gone 2-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
- Going back to their last five games as the favorite, the Penguins have a straight up record of 1-4. But, their mark vs the puck line was just 1-4.
Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction
Coming into their game vs. Montreal, the Penguins are 12-12-3. They are 7-8-3 when favored and 5-4-0 as the underdog. When they have hit the road, they have a 6-6-2 record this season, and they are 6-6-1 at home.
Offensively, the Penguins come into the game at 2.9 goals per contest placing 24th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 9th position in the league. So far this year, the Penguins are 7-6 in games they have had more shots on goal than their opponent. They are 5-6 in games with fewer shots on goal.
Heading into this matchup vs. Montreal, goalie Alex Nedeljkovic has started five games in this season. His current record is 2-2, and his save percentage stands at 93.7%.
The Canadiens are set to face Pittsburgh with a 12-13-3 record. Their track record as favorites is 3-0-0, while they maintain 9-13-3 when considered underdogs. For away games this season, they have a 6-4-2 record, while they are 6-9-1 when playing at home.
When looking at their offense, the Canadiens have an average of 2.6 goals per game this season, positioning themselves 28th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are ranked 26th in the league. Looking at how the Canadiens’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 19th in power play goals and 13th in shorthanded goals.
Goalie Sam Montembeault gets the start and has made 11 starts this season. His record at this point is 6-4, and his save percentage is 91.2%.
Despite being 1.5 goal underdogs, we predict the Canadiens to come out on top with a final score of 4-2.
Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Tips
- We like the Canadiens on the moneyline (+131)
- The Canadiens are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
- Our NHL model projects 6 goals, and we suggest taking the under
Montreal Canadiens Injury Report
- Carey Price – Knee – Out
- Tanner Pearson – Upper Body – Questionable
- Chris Wideman – Back – Out
- Jordan Harris – Lower Body – Out
- Rafael Harvey-Pinard – Lower Body – Out
- Kirby Dach – Knee – Out
- Alex Newhook – Ankle – Out
Pittsburgh Penguins Injury Report
- Matt Nieto – Lower Body – Out
- Rickard Rakell – Upper Body – Out
- Chad Ruhwedel – Lower Body – Out
- Bryan Rust – Upper Body – Questionable
- Noel Acciari – Lower Body – Out
